Full name David Wilson Name Davie Wilson | Playing position Role Footballer Years Team Height 1.68 m | |
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Date of birth (1939-01-10) 10 January 1939 (age 76) | ||
Davie wilson rangers legend of the 60s
Davie Wilson (born 10 January 1939) is a Scottish former international footballer who played as an outside left.
Contents
- Davie wilson rangers legend of the 60s
- Playing career
- Rangers
- Dundee United
- Dumbarton
- International
- Managerial career
- As player
- As manager
- International goals
- References
Playing career
Wilson, a native of the mining village of Newton just outside Glasgow, was a Rangers supporter in childhood. On a visit to Ibrox he received advice from Alan Morton who played left wing, the position in which Wilson became established.
As a teenager he was rejected by local Junior club Cambuslang Rangers for being too small, and instead began his career at Baillieston. He soon came to the attention of Rangers who signed him in 1956.
Rangers
Wilson made his first-team debut on 2 January 1957 just prior to his 18th birthday, was selected for European matches against AS Saint-Etienne and AC Milan, and played sufficient games for a League winner's medal in 1959, but it was not until the 1959–60 season that he became a regular in the side. He also began to score frequently, with 22 goals from 50 appearances in all competitions having only scored 8 in 51 in his first three seasons combined. Rangers reached the semi-finals of the European Cup and won the Scottish Cup.
The following season was even more successful, as Rangers won the Scottish Football League and the Scottish League Cup. Wilson played every minute of the campaign's 56 matches and scored over 20 goals, forming part of what would become known as one of the greatest Rangers forward lines, along with Ralph Brand, Jimmy Millar and Willie Henderson. However, there was disappointment in the European Cup Winners' Cup as Fiorentina overcame Rangers in the final.
1961–62 ended with Scottish Cup and League Cup victories, and Wilson achieved a club record which has never been equalled when he scored six times against Falkirk (a 7–1 win) in March 1962. The next year brought a League and Cup double and Wilson hit over 30 goals, including four in one match against Partick and one in the replayed cup final against Celtic.
In 1963–64, Wilson missed a large part of the winter through injury, including the League Cup Final, but returned to play in the Scottish Cup Final as Rangers completed the second treble in their history. However, in 1965 they only finished mid-table, and in the League Cup Wilson was injured in the semi-final and again could not take part in the final.
Rangers regained the Scottish Cup in 1966 against Celtic but lost out in the other competitions to the same opponents, who were beginning a period of dominance. Wilson played in both cup finals but made only 21 appearances overall, his fewest since 1958. Wilson's last campaign with Rangers was 1966–67. He made 29 appearances and scored 8 goals, but missed the League Cup final loss to Celtic, and was introduced as a substitute in the infamous Scottish Cup defeat to Berwick. He did not feature in Rangers' second Cup Winners' Cup Final although he played his part in the run including the winning goal in the semi-final, away to Slavia Sofia.
Wilson departed from Ibrox aged 28, having scored a total of 159 goals in 382 matches in all competitions. He was naturally right-footed, and became adept at dribbling with either foot, crossing from the byline on the left, and cutting inside to shoot powerfully with his stronger foot or connect with through balls – tactics which brought an impressive goal tally particularly for a player who was not a dedicated striker (he is ranked seventh of all post-WWII scorers for Rangers). He has since been inducted to the Rangers Hall of Fame.
Dundee United
In August 1967 Wilson transferred to Dundee United along with teammate Wilson Wood with Orjan Persson moving in the opposite direction. He spent four seasons at Tannadice, playing over 150 matches (129 in Division One). His time with the club coincided with that of future Rangers boss Walter Smith, who would later be signed by Wilson in his time as a manager. In 2017 Wilson became a member of United's Hall of Fame.
Dumbarton
Wilson moved to Dumbarton in January 1972 and retired as a player at the end of the 1972–73 season, aged 34, becoming a coach at the club.
International
Having appeared for the Under-23 side, Wilson made 22 full appearances for Scotland between 1960 and 1965, scoring nine goals; he was in the squad which won the 1961–62 and 1962–63 editions of the British Home Championship with perfect records. He was in the team for three wins over rivals England, but had also played and scored in Scotland's embarrassing 9-3 defeat in 1961. In 2014, he was inducted into the Scottish Football Hall of Fame, which he described as his "greatest honour".
Wilson also represented the Scottish League XI.
Managerial career
He had two spells as manager of Dumbarton, taking them into the Premier Division in his second spell, widely regarded as a commendable achievement for a part-time club. Wilson also had a spell as manager of Dumfries club Queen of the South, taking over after the surprise resignation of promotion winning Nobby Clark.
In retirement Wilson remained an enthusiastic supporter of Rangers, attending many matches and functions and commenting on the club's struggles. He was also an after-dinner speaker. In his spare time he kept racing pigeons.